This presentation or workshop will explore common “fairy tales” or myths about intimate relationships that are supported by our collective consciousness. We will open up a dialogue with the audience about what these myths are–both conscious and unconscious.

We will then take a look at what is actually true from a non-dual perspective. This will lead to an exploration, through discussion and experiential exercises, what relationship looks like when lived from our deepest truth. This has a direct clinical application in that intimate relationship issues are among most common reasons people seek psychotherapy.

Examples of fairy tales to be explored and their corresponding truths are as follows:

Fairy Tales:
I need to find “The One” so I can live happily ever after.
Love is found in another “outside” myself
I cannot be whole or complete without a romantic relationship
There has to be a passionate spark between the partners for love to work out.
A intimate relationship needs to look like the Hollywood movies.

Non-dual Reality:
Everyone is “The One.”
There is no other.
Happily ever after is right here and NOW, it is not found in the future.
True Love is what you ARE.
The ultimate happiness is found in BEING true love.
Love making is free of any goals.

The fairy tales lead to intimate relationships based on separation, projection, need, and dependency. We will explore relationship lived from truth, wholeness, fulfillment and oneness; and how only when we let go of the fairy tale, does happily ever after become a possibility. When we deeply relax in who we are then we can truly be in love with all that is. There is the opportunity to bridge the non dual and the dual to come into our essence, personal and impersonal, and include all of this in intimate relationship.

This six-hour presentation will include a talk, a group discussion and in-depth guided experiential exercises to deepen understanding for the audience. We will include case examples of clients working with this new evolution of relationship.

Speaker: Lynn Marie

Lynn Marie Lumiere, MFT is a psychotherapist with 20 years experience. She has been involved with the exploration of nondual wisdom and psychotherapy since its beginning, and is one of the authors of the first book on that topic, The Sacred Mirror. She is co-author with John Lumiere-Wins, of The Awakening West.